To this Jack offered no objection, for he was feeling very much that way himself. The village seemed almost deserted at this hour, for the night was cloudy as well as raw, and every one had sought shelter. Even the dogs answered each other with mournful howls, as though they, too, partook of the general gloom that had fallen upon poor Belgium since that day early in August when the Teuton horde broke across her neutral territory and began the most terrible war in all history. The boys walked out of the quiet village and along the road for a little distance. It was about this time that Amos drew the attention of his chum to something that appeared to have caught his eye and puzzled him. As usual, Amos depended on Jack to solve the mystery. CHAPTER VII. THE RED LANTERNS IN THE SKY. “I was just wondering if I could be seeing double, Jack, and if there are two stars as red as Mars close together,” was what Amos remarked, after directing the attention of his chum to a certain spot in the heavens. Jack gave a low whistle the very moment he looked. “I can tell you offhand to begin with,” he hastily exclaimed, “that those are not what you seem to think they are, Amos.” “Oh! is that so?” exclaimed the other. “What would you say they are?” “Look closer, Amos, and you can see that they move.” “That’s a fact, they do seem to swing like the pendulum of a clock. Now they’re close together, and then they separate more. Jack, it must be some sort of flying machine up there; perhaps a German Zeppelin.” “I hardly think so,” returned Jack, slowly. “In the first place no airship would be apt to remain stationary as those two red lights seem to be doing.” “Yes, I guess that’s right,” assented Amos. “And then again, while the breeze is blowing softly from the direction of the sea, it’s perfectly still just now. Only once in a while you can hear the far-away growl of a big gun. So you see we’d surely catch the rattle of the propeller if that were an aeroplane or an airship.” “Then how would you explain it, Jack?” “I don’t know for certain, but on a guess I’d say those red lights might be a couple of small but powerful lanterns.” “What! lanterns in the sky?” echoed Amos, quite staggered. “Perhaps held up by some sort of big kite,” continued Jack, “because you can see for yourself there’s a bully breeze for flying such a thing.” “But Jack, whoever bothered with sending up a kite after dark?” urged Amos. “I’ve done the thing myself for a lark, and with a lantern fastened to it to show where it sailed. Amos, in these war times all sorts of strange dodges are made use of so as to send important information.” This time it was Amos who whistled. “You’ve certainly got me stirred up in great shape, Jack,” he admitted. “Who but these smart German spies would ever think of sending information through the enemy’s lines by means of red lanterns attached to a big kite?”